Dissident Russian rock band in Israel after deportation from Thailand under likely Kremlin pressure

By MELANIE LIDMAN
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A dissident Russian rock band angered by Moscow’s war in Ukraine has arrived in Israel after being deported from Thailand under suspected pressure from the Kremlin. Speaking Thursday in the arrival hall of Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, guitarist and singer Aleksandr “Shura” Uman of the band Bi-2 said the band was doing well and very tired after their ordeal. He also called the conditions he and his band faced in a Thai jail as “horrible.” The seven members of Bi-2 were arrested last week after playing a concert on the southern resort island of Phuket. Russia has denied it had a hand in trying to get the band deported. However, Moscow has a reputation for cracking down on artists critical of the war.